We hope this will be a way for you to see how we are doing as time passes, and what is going on in the ministries we are involved with.
We also intend for this to be a way that we can share praises, prayer requests, and needs that we have with you, the body of Christ.
We hope you will be encouraged as we share what God is doing in the people and country of Romania, and blessed by the way God is teaching us and using us for His work.
God be with each of you!
In Christ, Andrew & Geta & Family

Thursday, October 22, 2015

"So Abraham called the name of that place, 'The Lord will provide'..." Genesis 22:14a

Dear Friends and Family,
We hope and pray all is well for each of you there in the United States, and that God continues to have his hand of blessing upon you.
We want to take this opportunity to share with you some exciting news, and ways that God continues to work in our lives and provide for us here, as well as confirm the direction that we believe God is leading us in ministry.
As many of you know, one of the ongoing prayer requests for our family has been that God would provide a place for us to live, that we can also use for ministry. God has been doing mighty things toward accomplishing this for us in the last few months. Through circumstances that can only have been the hand of God, we now own a piece of property in Rusca Montana, and if the Lord desires, we will begin building a home / place to minister there next spring.
We had been searching in Rusca Montana for several months (and even in some nearby villages) for some land to build on, or a house that we could buy and fix up. What we found was that there was little or no land available in Rusca Montana, and what was available was very expensive. Most of the options for houses that we found were also too expensive, and had next to no land by them (most of them had just enough by the house for a small garden).
We had gotten to the point of wondering what we were possibly going to do, when we heard from one of Geta's childhood friends about a piece of property that she had seen on a hill that she thought was beautiful and maybe what we were looking for (though she didn't know if it was for sale or not). We went to look for this piece of property, and thinking we had found it, were amazed - it was exactly what we had hoped and prayed for. We asked the owner if it was for sale, and after a day or two, found out that it was. Here is the stunning part that can only be God's hand: the property we went to see was not in fact the piece of property Geta's friend had told us about; we made a mistake on the location and ended up going to see another piece of property instead. The owner of the piece of property that we had mistakenly gone to see said that, "...yes my property is for sale, but how did you know, since I did not tell anybody?" Only God could have arranged all of these circumstances to work out when and how they did. On top of all this, the price was very low, and the owner even agreed to lower it slightly more to help with the cost of doing all the legal paperwork.
God alone is responsible for these series of events, which we believe are miracles. The way he organized each step in these circumstances, and they way he used his people here and back home - friends, family and Bridgeport Chapel, your generosity beyond measure - shows his handiwork, has his fingerprints all over it. This is a direct answer to our prayers and yours, as well as a confirmation to us that he does want us here in this village to do his work. Praise the Lord! Through some other circumstances that can also only be attributed to God, we were able to get another smaller piece of property right in front of our property (as you go up the hill) which will allow us a much easier road access to the property. Again, for this second piece of property, God worked everything out, including the price being very low.
The property is in a beautiful spot, up on a hill in the village of Rusca Montana. It is roughly 1.25 acres (for the first piece), plus roughly .35 acre for a total of about 1.7 acres. When we are able to build there (again, hopefully starting in the spring), it will be a spectacular view, with lots of room outside for the kids (and others!) to run around in or have fellowship at, whatever God desires. We are looking forward to the day when we will live there, and people will come there to learn more about God, to have fellowship, and above all that God will be glorified in that place.
We are so grateful for God's leading and provision. We also have so many people - all of you - to be grateful to as well; for your love of God first and your example, your friendship and love to our family, and your generosity that is beyond measure. We wouldn't be where we are today if it was not for God's sovereign hand upon our lives, and all of your love and generosity toward us. Thank you, with all our hearts.
There are many things yet to be done on the property, including making an access road, drilling a well, and getting everything in motion legally so we can build (more difficult here than in the U.S.); but God has shown his power every step of the way, and we are confident that his will will be accomplished, and excited to see what he does next!
With humility and gratefulness,
Andrew & Geta and familySome prayer requests:please continue to prayfor the church in Ruschita, that God will strengthen it, and bring more people to himself. Please prayfor the church in Rusca Montana, that God would encourage the people there, and that the Sunday School ministry we have been a part of starting will continue to grow and reach many children. Please pray for the property, that God will work out all details and difficulties so we can begin working on the house next spring. Above all please pray that we will continue to seek his face and his will, and serve him with all that we are.[Note: we wanted to put a picture of the property at the top of the blog post, but couldn't get blogger to let us do it.]